Voting lines now open for the 2017 Reader's Choice Awards

The 2017 Westmeath Examiner Sports Awards take place in the Mullingar Park Hotel on Friday February 23rd. Every year, we give our readers the chance to nominate by text, their top sporting hero of the year. It’s as simple as choosing from the 15 monthly winners listed and following the instructions below. The sports star with the most votes by the time our text line closes will win the coveted Readers’ Choice Award at our gala awards ceremony on February 23rd.

Voting lines for this award are now open and the monthly winners, along with their text number can be found below. Each text costs €1 and there can only be a maximum of 30 entries per mobile number per day. Full terms and conditions can be found at the bottom of this article. Text lines close on Thursday February 22nd at midday. Best of luck to all the finalists and we look forward to seeing you in the Mullingar Park Hotel on February 23rd.

VOTE DETAILS

January
Sean McMullin (athletics)
A very successful 2017 got off to the best possible start for Mullingar Harriers race walker Sean McMullin, who competed as a guest in the 3,000m race walk at the Munster Indoors in Nenagh, and came away victorious in his Masters category in a time of 17:20.4. This was the lynchpin for further success at the World Masters Indoors in South Korea, where he notched up two silver medals, and again at the World Masters Games in Auckland, New Zealand in May, where landed another three world titles.

To vote for Sean text EXAM 1 to 57199 

February
Kayla Brady (soccer)
Wilson’s Hospital School, Multyfarnham starlet Kayla Brady made her debut for the Republic of Ireland’s U15 girls’ schools side, who defeated Northern Ireland 7-1 on February 26. Kayla played a stormer at left back, and later in March, she featured for the Ireland U15 girls as they defeated England 2-1 to claim the invitational John Read Cup for the first time in its history. In April, she went on to score a hat-trick as Wilson’s Hospital retained the Leinster U15 ‘B’ Schools Cup.

To vote for Kayla text EXAM 2 to 57199

March
St Joseph’s, Rochfortbridge (camogie/ladies’ football)
A double All-Ireland in the same week. Has this feat ever been achieved by a Westmeath school at any grade? It’s exactly what the senior girls of St Joseph’s Secondary School, Rochfortbridge achieved in March 2017, when they captured All-Ireland senior ‘B’ schools titles in camogie and ladies’ football. On Tuesday March 21, the ‘Bridge girls saw off Dublin’s Coláiste Íosagáin in the camogie, and the following Sunday, Loreto, Clonmel fell to the St Joseph’s juggernaut, wrapping up an historic double.

To vote for the ladies from St. Joseph’s text EXAM 3 to 57199

April
Damien Shaw (cycling)
Months after being given top billing for the An Post Sean Kelly Chainreaction team, former Westmeath Examiner Sports Star of the Year Damien Shaw made the first major breakthrough of his professional career in April by clinching his maiden professional victory: the opening stage of the prestigious, five-day UCI Tour de Loir-et-Cher in France. Not only did Shaw leave former An Post Rás stage winner and French Army cyclist Thomas Rostallan in his wake, but on receiving the yellow jersey, he went on to retain it for three days. Despite ultimately losing out in the latter stages, this was the highlight of the 32-year-old’s career so far.

To vote for Damien text EXAM 4 to 57199

May 
Westmeath ladies (ladies’ football)
Stephen Maxwell’s charges overcame a huge hurdle in May 2017, when they won Division 2 of the Lidl Ladies’ National Football League. Cavan were the opposition in the final, and after a stalemate in late April, the sides met again for the replay in May. Westmeath showed their class on the day, with Leona Archibold firing 1-6, and the likes of Rachel Dillon, Laura Brennan, Lucy McCartan, Maud Annie Foley and Ciara Blundell all contributing to a 13-point win over the Breffni girls. It was a solid team effort, and earned Westmeath the dine at the league’s top table in 2018.

To vote for the Westmeath Ladies team text EXAM 5 to 57199

June (Joint Winners)
Simon Carr (tennis)
As was the case with cyclist Damien Shaw in April, another Mullingar man, tennis star Simon Carr, took a huge step forward in his professional career by recording his first ever Grand Slam win in June. Carr, then 17, broke through a glass ceiling when he effected a dramatic comeback to beat American Vasili Kirkov in the boys’ singles opening round at the Boys’ French Open in Roland Garros. In a sporting discipline where Ireland is relatively unaccustomed to success, Carr’s defeat of Kirkov was a great leap forward. Later in December, he was named as part of Ireland’s 2018 Davis Cup team.

To vote for Simon text EXAM 6 to 57199

Katie Heffernan (rugby)
Mullingar’s Katie Heffernan made a huge breakthrough in her fledgling rugby career last June, when she was called up by Irish senior women’s rugby director Anthony Eddy for the Clermont Sevens – Ireland’s final outing of the 2017 World Sevens Series. Although the girls in green lost their opening ties against the USA and New Zealand, Heffernan made her debut in the final Pool A match against Japan, and scored a try. The talented former camogie player was at the thick of the action as the squad went on to record a top-eight finish to achieve ninth place in the overall season standings – Ireland’s best ever series performances.

To vote for Katie text EXAM 7 to 57199

July
Tommy Doyle (hurling)
Acknowledged by many Gaelic games commentators in Westmeath and beyond as the best full back in the country, Lough Lene Gaels and Westmeath star Tommy ‘Jogger’ Doyle had a terrific 2017 for club and county. The highlight of this was his display in Westmeath’s Qualifier defeat against All-Ireland champions Tipperary on July 1, when the Lake County had their Premier opponents on the ropes at half time and, despite ultimately losing, achieving a real moral victory. Doyle put in a scintillating and relentless display at full back, keeping Tipp talisman Seamus Callanan scoreless from play.

To vote for Tommy text EXAM 8 to 57199

August
Jack Mullins (pitch and putt)
Saturday August 19 was a proud day for the pitch and putt fraternities in both Kilbeggan and Westmeath as a whole, when young Jack Mullins claimed an All-Ireland U13 pitch and putt strokeplay title. At the Erry course in Offaly, Mullins shot 104 (4 under par) to become the third Leinster winner of the National Boys’ Strokeplay (10-13) championship in the past nine years. The youngster also captained the U16 Westmeath team which finished second in Leinster and fifth in the All-Ireland team event. The following month, he went on to win the Westmeath U16 strokeplay competition.

To vote for Jack text EXAM 9 to 57199

September (Joint Winners) 
The Westmeath junior camogie team (camogie)
The centre of Mullingar came to a standstill in mid-September, as the creme-de-la-creme of Westmeath camogie went to Croke Park and beat no less than Dublin in an All-Ireland final. With Johnny Greville at the helm, and the likes of Caoimhe McCrossan, Dinah Loughlin, Denise McGrath and Pamela Greville leading the way on the field, Westmeath camogie got a continuous shot in the arm throughout 2017, reaching a Leinster intermediate final. But the crowning glory was September’s day out in Croke Park, when the girls brought home an All-Ireland premier junior title.

To vote for the Westmeath Junior Camogie team text EXAM 10 to 57199

Derek McGee (motorcycling)
September saw Knockdrin man Derek McGee recover from a leg break picked up at the Ulster Grand Prix to secure the national Superbikes title, making him the 600, 650 and 1,000cc champion – a tremendous motorcycling hat-trick for the ‘Mullingar Missile’. The win elevated him to elite company in road racing, as the only other riders to have won the triple are Brian Reid in the early 1980s, and Philip McCallen, who ruled the roads in the 1990s.

To vote for Derek text EXAM 11 to 57199

October
John Heslin (Gaelic football)
No player was more key to St Loman’s, Mullingar’s march to a Leinster final than captain John Heslin. The Westmeath star scored for fun throughout 2017’s Westmeath senior football championship campaign, as the Lakepoint Park club romped to a fourth title in five years. Heslin was at his most exquisite in the county senior football final last October, when he put 2-6 past Tyrrellspass, including an individual goal of outrageous quality after 12 seconds of play. He makes it all look so easy – and he’s still only 25.

To vote for John text EXAM 12 to 57199

November (Joint Winners) 
Multyfarnham GAA (Gaelic football)
Much has happened since for the ambition-laden Derravaragh side club, but Multyfarnham’s crowning achievement of 2017 – apart from winning a first county junior football title in 61 years – was their successful Leinster Club JFC campaign. In November, full forward Max Brady kicked 2-3 as Multy saw off Offaly’s Erin Rovers in their Leinster final, emulating Moate All Whites’ success in 2014, and capturing the imagination of an entire county ever since.

To vote for Multyfarnham GAA text EXAM 13 to 57199

Aidan Keena (soccer)
Mullingar soccer star Aidan Keena’s career moved to the next level in August 2017, when he joined Scottish Premier League side Heart of Midlothian (Hearts) after a decent spell with St Patrick’s Athletic. The pacy, prolific inside forward (18) went straight into Hearts’ U20 setup and has been scoring and creating goals ever since. In November, he was rewarded for his form by Hearts boss Craig Levein with a senior debut in Hearts’ 1-1 SPL draw with Partick Thistle.

To vote for Aidan text EXAM 14 to 57199

December 
Jordan Dempsey (motorsport)
Mullingar teenager Jordan Dempsey’s meteoric rise in motorsport continued in 2017, when he was rewarded for a fine year on the track by winning Motorsport Ireland’s prestigious Sexton Trophy for Young Irish Driver of the Year, unlocking some €50,000 in funding towards his development in 2018. Last July, Dempsey (17) returned to the track after his Leaving Cert and secured several pole positions, lap records and a victory in his first British Championship race at Castle Combe in Wiltshire, England.

To vote for Jordan text EXAM 15 to 57199

Voting lines will close midday, Thursday February 22nd. Tickets are available by contacting Teresa Bolger or Sandra McCann on 044 934 6700. Ticket Price: €45 (Group Discounts Available). Everyone welcome.

T&C’s
Text line available in ROI only. 57199 messages cost €1. SMS entry requires one message to be delivered. Max 30 entries per mobile number per day. Standard network charges apply. Lines close at midday on Thursday, February 22nd, 2018. You may receive promotional SMS in future. To opt out text STOP to 57030. Helpline BDC 0818286600.